North Korea Rejects Japan Summit, Demands End to ‘Outdated’ Approach

Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, said on Monday.

That a summit with Sanae Takaichi is unlikely unless Japan abandons what she described as its “anachronistic” approach. Her remarks came days after Takaichi said she had conveyed to Donald Trump during talks in Washington her strong interest in meeting Kim Jong Un. However, Kim Yo Jong made it clear that any such meeting would depend on Tokyo changing its stance.

“For the leaders of the two countries to meet, Japan must first be ready to break from its outdated practices,” she said in a statement carried by state media, adding that a summit cannot take place solely at Japan’s request.

While she did not specify what policies she was referring to, North Korea has previously linked potential dialogue with Japan to issues such as Tokyo’s position on its nuclear programme and longstanding disputes over the abduction of Japanese citizens.

The abduction issue remains a major sticking point in bilateral ties. During a landmark 2002 meeting between Kim Jong Il and then Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, North Korea admitted to abducting 13 Japanese nationals in the 1970s and 1980s. Five were later allowed to return, but Tokyo maintains that more victims may still be unaccounted for.

Despite the strong remarks, Kim Yo Jong described her comments as a “personal position,” a phrasing analysts often interpret as signalling pressure rather than a definitive policy shift.

Prospects for a summit remain uncertain, with North Korea largely disengaged from diplomatic talks with both the United States and South Korea in recent years. Although Trump has previously held three meetings with Kim Jong Un between 2018 and 2019 and has expressed interest in resuming dialogue, Pyongyang has continued to insist that Washington must drop its focus on denuclearisation before talks can restart.

For now, the possibility of a North Korea–Japan summit appears distant, with both sides holding firm on key मुद्दे that have long defined their strained relationship.